Harlan Properties rejected the request for access within forty-eight hours. Its legal department claimed the abandoned factory was unsafe and that allowing outsiders inside would create unacceptable liability. The response offered no alternative arrangements for retrieving historical materials.
Claire Donovan wasn't surprised.
She began preparing an application seeking preservation of potentially relevant evidence, supported by statements from Thomas, Samuel, and Nora.
Maya meanwhile tried to find employment.
Her former manager, Dennis Cole, had told several restaurant owners that she was unreliable and confrontational. She couldn't prove how widely the accusations had spread, but interviewers repeatedly asked why she left her previous position.
One afternoon, she received another rejection.
She sat outside a grocery store holding her phone, trying not to cry.
Her rent was due in three days.
Jordan's next medical appointment wasn't fully covered by insurance.
And she had spent her remaining savings helping them get through the month.
When her phone rang again, she almost ignored it.
The caller introduced herself as Angela Brooks, director of a neighborhood food assistance program.
"I heard about what you did behind Cole's Diner," Angela said.
Maya sighed.
"If you're calling because of Dennis, I didn't steal anything."
Angela sounded surprised.
"I wasn't going to accuse you."
"Sorry."
"I was calling to ask whether you'd consider working with us."
Maya sat upright.
"What kind of work?"
"We need someone experienced in food preparation and kitchen operations. It's a small program, but the position is paid."
Maya felt tears rising.
"When could I start?"
"Tomorrow, if you're interested."
She accepted before Angela finished explaining the schedule.
The job paid less than the diner, but it offered steady hours and meaningful work. The program prepared meals for elderly residents, families facing food insecurity, and people without stable housing.
On her first day, Maya recognized several people she'd previously seen searching for food near restaurant dumpsters.
She greeted them without asking questions.
Later, Angela watched her carefully wrap an extra sandwich for an elderly visitor.
"You really believe everyone deserves a meal, don't you?"
Maya smiled.
"My mother taught me that."
Angela nodded.
"Then you'll fit in here."
That evening, Maya visited Thomas with good news.
He listened quietly, then began smiling.
"Evelyn would have loved that."
Maya pulled up a chair.
"I think she would."
Thomas reached toward the bedside table.
"There's something I haven't told Adrian."
Maya waited.
"Richard Harlan offered to buy my silence after the factory closed."
"Did you accept?"
Thomas closed his eyes.
"At first, I did."
Maya stared at him.
For the first time since meeting Thomas, she wondered whether the old man had told her the whole truth.